The Washington critic., 1887-09-03
THE REAL LINCOLN.
The True History Of His Famous
Speech at Gettysburg.
A SURPRISING REvEL ALTON.
Some OF the Gross Misstatoments of
History Corrected.
copyrighted, 1887, by ward II. Lamon-All
rights rcseryed.l


Among the many historic scenes In
which President Lincoln was an actor
there Ia not one, perhaps, where q
single incident gave rise to flood OF
misrepresentation so groundless and 80
gross as his justly celebrated Gctlys.
burg speech. Since his death there
has been an enormous expenditure, not
to say very great waste, OF literary
talent on that performance, as there has
been on about everything else he did,
or was supposed to have done, from
his boyhood until the moment OF his
assassination. That reporters, critics,
chroniclers, eulogists, natterers and
biosrsphers have not only failed to
give true account Of that famous
speech, but that they have subjected Mr..
Lincoln's memory to hurtful misrepre-
sentation, It is the purpose Of this
paper to show.
Ii was my good fortune to have
known Mr. Lincoln long and well--so
long and intimately that as the shadows
lengthen and the years recede am
more and more impressed with the
rugged grandeur and nobility Of his
character, his strength of Intellect and
singular purity of heart. Surely l am
the last man on earth to say or do aught
in derogation of his great worth, or to
tarnish his fair fame In any way what
ever.
The world has long since conceded
that he was great in all the elements
that go to make up human greatness.
He had a stamp Of originality that was
entirely his own. With his unique
individuality, his intellect, at once
strong, sagacious and profoundly
acute and critical, were associated
mental integrity and moral purpose as
firm as granite, thorough knowledge
of himself and modesty that scoraed
both self laudation and eulogy by
others for fame or achievements not
his own. An act accomplished by him
either in his character Of citizen or
public servant he regarded more as
duty discharged than as an achieve
ment of which to be proud. He was
charitable TO fault, aud yet no man
ever Disseminated more narrow WY Ia his
judgment concerning the acts and mo.
tives of other men, or had keener ap
probation of merit or demerit In
others. With his characteristic hon
esty and simplicity we may well sup.
pose that, were he alive to day, he
would feel under little obligation to the
swarm OF fulsome eulopists, who have
made up the body OF the current
chronicers of his life and public con
duct-many Of these writers being men
who, while Lincoln lived. exhausted
the resources Of their venom and skill
in detract,on and abuse.
AN ExcEss OF HOMAGE.
Discriminating observers and stu.
dents Of history have not failed to note
the fact that the ceremony of Mr.. Lin.
coins apotheosis was not only planned,
but executed by men who hated him
while he lived and after the detication
took place, with snowy maguificence,
some time after the great mans lips
were closed by death, these same fiat.
terers, who have undertaken the self
imposed task Of guarding the memory
of the man whom they We're traducng
and trying 10 supplant at the moment
when the assassins bullet closed his
career, now demand tnat his true
friends shall do homage tn him, not as
great and good man, but as god
An honest man of the present day
who does not deity him for meritori
Gus things which he did, much less for
things he left undone, Is set down ss
no friend to Mr.. Lincoln. The maxim
--"noihing extenuate, nor aught set
down in malice" Is entirely ignored,
and the nobility Of his character is
sacrificed by falsely ascribing to him
ornamental virtues which he never pos
sessed, and motives, purposes and
achievements which he would promptly
disowu If he were alive. These latter
eulugists have tried the extremes OF a
manly detrac,ion while their hero lived,
and meaningless tlattery and deitica.
tion after bis death. These slaves OF
chance seem to have lost sight Of the
man altogether; the man they hated
the god they salute with hosan.
mas still more hurtful to his fame.
Although more godlike, | readily
CouCtde, than any man | ever knew,
MIR. Lincoln was yet thoroughly human
and although the writers of whom |
speak have signally failed in that re
spect ! yet believe 1t quite possible to
separate the acts Of the man from the
man himself To do this Is precisely
what Mr.. Lincoln would desire at tht
hands of any man who ventures to sill
in judgment upon his public or private
conduct.
THE GETTYSBURG SPEECH.
A day OF two before the dedication ot
the National Cemetery at Gettysburg
Mr.. Lincoln told me that he would bl
expected TO make speech on the oc
CasioD; that he was extremely busy,
with no time for preparation, and thu
he greatly feared he would not lie aDl'
to acqult himself with credit, mucl
less 10 fill the measure of public GN
pecia,ion. From HIS hat Che usual re
Ceptacle uf his private notes and memo
Ianda), he drew page Of f1Osclp
closely written, which he read to me
first TrmArkiDg that it was II memo
randum Of what he Intended to say. |
proved to be In substance and, | think
IN haze cerJa, what was printed as hi
Gettysburg speech.
After It's delivery he expressed deel
regret that he had not prepared
with greater caro-. He said to me O
the stand, Immediately after cOncludiu
the speech: "LamOn, that speech won
scour 1t Is II flat failure, and the pro
pie are disappointed. He SCENE,
more than ordinarily concerned abou
what the people would think VI it,
was deeply impressed by his frank an
regretful condemnation Of the effort
and especially by his manner ~ cxpres'in
That regret aud my own Impression VA
decpenrd by tho fact that the orator Of o.
Gay, Nr Everett, aud Mr. seward, hot
conceded with MIR Lincoln in his uuIayo
able view OF its mrrlts,
1hr occasion was solemn, Impressive nm
prWdly historic. The people stood -pei
bound, It is true The vast thruug w'